1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to packaging apparatus for shipping and display of food products, such as a meal kit made from multiple components.
2. Description Of The Related Art
This invention relates to cartons for transporting sensitive items such as food products being delivered to a consumer. More particularly, this invention relates to folding cartons which can be made from a blank formed of sheet material, such as paperboard.
Numerous examples of these types of cartons are known in the art. However, additional challenges arise when the same carton used for shipping displays more elaborate finished food product, as well as their internal components, and their directions for assembly and, if necessary, heating or cooking. Further, the carton may be called upon to contain a wide variety of components which are best served in different temperature ranges and, for convenience, are packaged together for subsequent re-organization by the consumer. It is desirable to maintain organization of the several components within the carton, as the components must be accessed several times, at different stages of meal preparation.
Preparation of a dinner from individually packaged components located within a common carton frequently require preliminary assembly and a subsequent brief storage to await further handling by the consumer. It is important in such instances that the package provide consistent and easy access, throughout various stages of meal preparation, as well as initial opening, and it is desirable in certain instances to provide a carton with multiple points of access to the carton interior.
Cartons have been proposed for shipping of edible products, including the association of several product units within a common carton. Oftentimes, such, cartons do not take into consideration the peculiar requirements associated with multi-component dinners and the like, where one or more food products are assembled from kit components. While single component, and especially prepared single course dinners, are more easily displayed, multi-component dinners constructed from kit components present a display challenge that is more demanding, due to the increased complexity of information which must be presented to a prospective purchaser. Distinctive useful features of packaging systems are continually being sought in order to gain consumer acceptance. It is desirable that the carton, wherever possible, provide pleasant associations to the consumers along with necessary directions, to add to the pleasurable experience associated with the dinner and its preparation.
The objective of the invention is to provide a packaging system for shipping and display of multi-component food products, such as dinners to be prepared from a multi-component kit.
Another objective of the invention is to provide packaging apparatus which can be simply and inexpensively formed using conventional materials, and it is further desirable, whenever possible, to provide packaging materials in a space-saving, knocked-down or folded configuration.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide packaging apparatus with internal dividers for organizing different components.
A further object of the present invention is to provide packaging apparatus of the above-described type which provides-an association with pleasant experiences, such as opening an oven door.
These and other objects of the present are provided in a packaging apparatus for shipping and display of a multi-component meal kit, comprising a carton defining a hollow interior and having major opposed front and rear walls, opposed sidewalls, a bottom wall and a top-wall; the carton top wall having a beveled portion adjacent the front wall including a tear strip extending between the sidewalls to form a flip top portion moveable to form a top opening for access to the carton interior; a front wall including a window for viewing contents in the carton interior; and an internal divider member within the carton to divide the carton interior, to support a plurality of meal kit components.